Another insurance thread - claiming

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

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Further to the thread on insurance cost - what's the experience been like when you've actually had to make a claim? Like pulling teeth or completely painless or somewhere in between?

I've been with GJW for over 8 years now - in all that time I've only made one claim (boat broke her mooring - 6K worth of damage - all settled in less than a month - they paid the yard direct).
Over the years the policy has started to cost more. It's about time to renew the policy, and whilst I can get (marginally) cheaper quotes elsewhere I'm reluctant to go elsewhere as I know that when I've got to make a claim the current insurance will pay up.

So, what's the experience like elsewhere?

I suppose what brought this on is this: the wife's car was stolen Jan 7th - paperwork was handled and sorted in 7 weeks (police, testimonies, valuation, etc...). It's now taking them over 4 weeks to write a bloody cheque /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
The insurance premium was very reasonable/cheap, but it seems they're more than willing to take money from you, but paying out...
I've been wondering who the biggest crooks are: the [--word removed--] that nicked the car or the bloody insurance company.
(And in case anyone's wondering: it's the one featuring the annoying dog).
 
the only time i've ever claimed was when our boat got broken in to. electronics winches etc went.. I was with <SP> pantanius <SP> at the time they where a pain they made me wait 3 month to see if the stuff turned up and wanted recipts for every thing before they paid out. It was mid season so i forked out of my own money just to use the boat, before getting the money back later /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
The insurance business is really about collecting the premiums, and investing the money. Minimising and avoiding claims is an important part of the strategy. In 30 odd years of banking, one of the most blatant frauds I saw was committed with the active connivance of an insurance company, which then claimed that the fraud itself freed them from the obligation to pay out under its policies, even though they had introduced the fraudster. The biggest fraud I ever saw was an American life insurer, in which the directors and the company's crooked lawyer contrived to use the company's assets to secure loans, stole the money, and then plea bargained their way out of jail! Its an industry with its fair share of crooks. Vitally, you need to check that any insurer you use is regulated in the UK. These forums contain occasional threads about a marine insurer registered in South America, and the difficulties experienced by those attempting to claim, who have no recourse to any effective ombudsman service.
 
Recently my sisters car had a small elecrical fire caused by a mal function of the starter circuit either short circuit etc.enough to make car uneconomical to repair! She got a letter yesterday saying that she is not covered for damage caused by electrical, computer, or mechanical equipment. This is the insurers who call themselves after a grey animal with a trunk!
If I ever had to make a claim I would be very careful how I worded such claim as if they can wriggle they will.
 
if you have a straight forward claim and there is nothing for them to umm n arr about then demand your money even if you have to go to their main office and ask to see the top person and you will get you money much faster than sitting around waiting for it as they will hold on to it for as long as they can,fact.
 
I had to make a claim on GJW 2 years ago and the process was remarkably easy.
I was expecting some hassle but none was offered, they even dealt direct with the repairers because I was out of the country. Came home to a finished job, fully paid up, no problems.
Very different to dealing with motor claim on wife's car, which was hit hit when parked. She was made to feel like the offender, not the victim.
 
I may end up doing just that.

It's been 4 weeks since the amount of the settlement was agreed and they agreed to pay.
And still we're waiting for them to even write the bloody cheque. Cheque in this day and age - what's wrong with a BACS payment?

The wife's been on the phone to them nearly every other day - she's been lied to every time. Cheque was supposedly in the mail 3 times already. Then yesterday they call her to inform her that's she's entitled to a new car, would she not rather have a new car instead of the money? She then loses it and I grab the phone off her.

Get a the Churchill chick on the phone - at first she refuses to talk to me. I can only discuss this with the policy holder sir. Wife's rating and raving in the background - I hold out the phone and assure the Churchill chick that at this moment in time she'd rather talk to me.
Well, we have to be careful sir, after all it's quite a lot of money.
A lot of money? Do you think 25K is just so much loose change to us?

Now awaiting cheque, which should be with us no later than next Thursday.
If it isn't and you work at Churchill's main office in Bromley - you might want to take the day off on Friday 28th April.
 
I'm insured with GJW and recently made a claim for stolen and damaged gear plus the damage caused breaking into the boat.

GJW have been superb and paid the claim without any hassle.

I shall certainly be staying with them
 
[ QUOTE ]
they even dealt direct with the repairers because I was out of the country. Came home to a finished job, fully paid up, no problems.

[/ QUOTE ]

Similar experience with them - have the feeling that changing from GJW to another marginally cheaper company could prove to be a false economy.
 
I left GJW about 3 years ago when I sold my last boat for they offered my purchaser who I introduced to them a cheaper price than my own renewal… I had been with them about 10 years and never had a claim.

I asked this forum for recommendations and went to Haven Knox-Johnson who were substantially less expensive and appeared to offer the same cover but a larger sailing area as standard.
River Elbe & la Rochelle plus inland continental waters Not South of 46deg North. Not North of 55deg north and not East of 10deg East.

Just paid this years renewal at £270 for just over £40k valuation and all legal expenses included.

Not had a claim so can’t say on that side.

Best of luck with your car claim.
Think I would have been banging their head office desk in person by now.

Have fun....... Peter
 
Norman_E is on the right lines. In respect of personal insurance (i.e. house, car), it is very much a numbers game and you will get both the cheapest and most expensive quote on a Friday, depending whether the company/branch has filled their quota for that particular week or month. This is also beginning to happen with small businesses. Yachts, however, are still handled with other marine business which is entrenched in the commercial sector, and you tend to get better service as a result.

If companies are slow paying a household/motor claim, follow the complaints procedure, but send a copy to the retail division at the FSA who are very interested in whether customers are treated fairly at the moment.
 
Two claims in six years. First was when another boat colided with mine. Both insured with Panteneus? and they were fast and efficient in instructing the repairs.
Second was a couple of years back when toe-rags broke into one of the buildings and stole tools. I found out about it on a sunday and phoned the police. They issued a crime number immediately. I phone the issurers, Prudential, with the list and the crime number. Two hours later the local p.c. arrived and took notes. Was not optimistic that they would catch anyone. Monday morning the agency, which handles replacements for the insurer, called to check on model numbers ,age etc. On Thursday all but one of the items was replaced with new, the final one, being out of stock, arrived a week later.
Hopefully I wont have to claim again but if I do, hopefully all be be as smooth as these two were.
 
St Margerets have each time dealt with damage to the boat structure quickly and fairly. I discovered that I had not read the small print sufficiently thoroughly following a burglary. Getting what I needed was worse than pulling teeth, primarily due to my own failures to inform, and was eventually settled amicably on a trade off for my sweat equity on some of the repairs. More mobile stuff was all settled very quickly via my house insurance with no quibbles and on a new for old basis.
 
Mostly I find that claims have been paid fairly quickly, particularly when its been clear to the insurance company that the claim wasnt being "worked".

They have a problem - a high proportion of the general public regard padding insurance claims as perfectly acceptable (like fiddling the tax man) yet the same general public mostly wouldnt steal if you left your wallet lying around.

The classic is of course motor car body repairs - ever been asked if "its an insurance job"?. Ever asked them to include a dint "done earlier"?

To give you another example, my wife was at one time an underwriter for a large insurance company. She did an investigation of the household claims they had received in one year and found that 80% (yes it really was that high) of bathroom claims were for the proverbial "dropped a hammer in the bath". As soon as they changed the policy so that a damaged bath only meant a new bath rather than a new bathroom suite - the problem went away and the claim rate plummeted. Same sort of thing with travel insurance - some customers making a luggage claim every year for several years. One of the holiday perks.

Personally I've witnessed several fraudulent claims from sailors so I dont blame the insurance companies for playing difficult at times. Seems to me that the problems are two sided.

Loved the comment about dodgy insurance companies from an ex banker, particularly in the present climate. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I have not had to claim on my Yacht insurance so far but I have had to clain a couple of time on my Laser insurance through Noble Marine and they are excellent, would recomend them every time.
 
Been with Saga for 3 years. Very reasonable premium. Not claimed on yacht but did have a car claim with them last year - no problems. (You have to be over 50 though!)
 
That will give you time to read their boat policy clauses /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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